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No flapping against the Bluebirds from Clement’s Derby

The international break of November seemed a long time for Derby County fans after their disappointing defeat against local rivals Nottingham Forest coming on the Friday before all other SkyBet Championship sides concluded before those going away to feature for their chosen nations participated elsewhere.

Article by Fred Gough

Derby County [2] Cardiff City [0] - Attendance: 29,526

Derby fans and Head Coach Paul Clement both demanded a response at the iPro Stadium. A minute’s silence was held prior to kick off to allow all within the stadium to reflect upon the sadness and devastation which occurred in Paris the Friday before. The chilly November air circled around the stadium as it fell to silence before a patient and cautious first half display from the home side.

The Rams were clearly the side pressing the hardest to open the scoring, Tom Ince brought back in for his first start since the away game at Blackburn Rovers tested Scottish international goalkeeper David Marshall with several attempts and also tried to turn creator for both midfielders Jacob Butterfield and Bradley Johnson but the deadlock could not be breached before Cyrus Christie’s determined running and Andreas Weimann tried his luck as well.

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As the first half wore on, the home side let their visitors take their best opportunity, the robust Trinidadian Kenwyne Jones, once a target of Derby County, outmuscled Richard Keogh before slipping the ball unselfishly to South African midfielder Kagisho Dikgacoi. However he was denied by the calm defensive and experienced duo Jason Shackell and Scott Carson who once again spent most the afternoon as passengers to the high midfield possession of their team mates.

Half Time: Derby County 0 Cardiff City 0

Bradley Johnson had the earliest opportunity of the second half after the midfielder’s header was cleared by former Liverpool trainee Lee Peltier on the far post from a quickly taken corner; however it was only a few minutes later that the former Norwich City midfielder found himself in the referee’s notebook. This was Johnson’s fifth booking since arriving at the end of the summer transfer window and meaning he would now have to sit out the next game for the first time since joining.

The dominant Derby display continued and eventually got their reward after fifty five minutes. Their tidy and unwearied play found Chris Martin inside the box, the Scotsman neatly teed it to George Thorne who shot past Marshall to open the scoring. The flood barriers opened again for Derby to double their lead only seconds later when Butterfield was given the space in the midfield before trying to help the Derby County captain get his name on the score sheet but he was unable to do so.

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It was another drive by Thorne which did provide the second. The Englishman saw Marshall push his shot from the edge of the box wide but Austrian Weimann pounced to tap home his third in successive home games after goals against Rotherham United and Queens Park Rangers.

Cardiff attempted to restore some pride however Jones’ header failed to trouble Carson in the Derby goal late on.

Full Time: Derby County 2 Cardiff City 0

Paul Clement could see a lot of positives from his side’s latest win. It was another cautious and reserved opening half but raised the tempo in the second. It was the reaction that will have instilled some delight ahead of the Rams’ next two fixtures both in Yorkshire before hosting Brighton & Hove Albion in mid December.

His side are hoping to resurrect the form which propelled them into the top four of the SkyBet Championship after seventeenth league fixture of the season and ahead of playing the top of the table Hull City on Friday.

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This was Derby’s first home victory over Cardiff since the end of the 2009/2010 campaign and maintains their unbeaten record against the Welsh side since defeat in April 2012. Optimistic supporters will look at the table and see that Paul Clement’s side are driven in their aims for the rest of this season.